The invention relates to a discharge apparatus for media in accordance with the preamble of claim 1 and such as is e.g. known from EP 245 895 A1.Such a discharge apparatus for media is particularly intended for the discharge of media containing at least one pharmaceutical substance.
With such discharge apparatuses the medium to be discharged is stored in a container having chambers separated from one another. Into each of the chambers is introduced a single medium component and the media components together give the medium to be discharged. The container is placed in a casing, which has a discharge opening for discharging the medium. An actuating means movable relative to the casing is provided. Through actuation of the actuating means firstly a connection is formed between the container chambers.
In the case of discharge apparatuses for media the media to be discharged are stored in a container. Media exist, which cannot be permanently stored and which are not permanently stable in their ready-to-use administration form. To make it possible to store such media over long periods, which in particular includes an appropriate time for intermediate storage, for the distribution of the medium produced via the manufacturer to the wholesaler and then to the retailer, e.g. pharmacies, together with an adequate consumption period of the medium, it has been proposed that the medium be separately stored in the form of individual, in each case stable or more stable media components and to effect the mixing of the media components immediately prior to application or use. As the mixing of the components usually requires a precise dosing of said components, this cannot be readily independently performed by a non-expert. Usually at least a trained person is needed to carry out this action and then subsequently administer the medium to the final consumer, i.e. the patient.
Examples of media which can be kept for longer periods broken down into the different partial components and which as a mixture are not permanently stable, frequently occur in connection with pharmaceutical applications. Particularly if part of the medium is a lyophilized powder (a so-called lyophilizate), which has to be dissolved in an aqueous carrier liquid or discharged together with the latter, the substance mixture is unstable. However, there are also numerous applications in which the two liquid media components when mixed are not stable, whereas each individually and separately can be stored for long periods.
A dispenser in which the media components are stored separately from one another in a container and are dischargeable together in mixed form is e.g. known from the preamble-forming EP 245 895 A1. In the case of such a dispenser an actuating means is provided in order to perform the mixing process of the media components and then discharge the medium. For mixing together the media components it is necessary to perform several pump strokes with the actuating means. At the end of the pump strokes and when the media components are fully mixed, there is a discharge stroke and during the latter the total medium quantity is discharged.
However, it is tedious that numerous pump strokes have to be performed in order to mix the media components.
It has proved that it can be advantageous to discharge a medium in several, clearly defined partial batches or charges. This is e.g. the case if the medium is to be administered nasally and a uniform quantity of medium is to be introduced into both nostrils. It has been found that e.g. when administering anticephalalgics a nasal application is advantageous, because it leads to a rapid absorption of the substance by the body. Simultaneously this makes it possible to administer substances, which otherwise in certain circumstances could not be administered in tablet form, but instead would have to be administered in spray form and therefore only by trained personnel. However, the application of such a medicament administration is not limited to anticephalalgics. It is also possible to administer nasally other forms of analgesics and further pharmaceutical substances. The only important factor is that the body can absorb the substance administered through the nose.
It is not known that prior to the performance of the partial discharges of the medium there must be a mixing process of the media components in order to produce the medium to be discharged.
Therefore the problem of the invention is to provide a discharge apparatus for media through which on the one hand the separate storage is possible of media components in separate chambers and on the other the medium to be discharged can be discharged in clearly defined partial charges.
On the basis of the preamble features, this problem is solved by the characterizing features of claim 1.
A discharge apparatus for media according to the invention and which is in particular intended for the discharge of a medium containing at least one pharmaceutical substance, has a container, which stores the medium in the form of media components, said media components being introduced into chambers separated from one another. Together the media components give the medium to be discharged. The container is located in a casing having a discharge opening for medium discharge purposes. An actuating means is possible, which is movable relative to the casing. This is also understood to cover an arrangement in which the container is placed indirectly in a sleeve, which is contained in the casing, the actuating means being movable relative to the sleeve. An actuation of the actuating means initially leads to the formation of a connection between the container chambers. The actuating path or course of the actuating means is, according to the invention, subdivided into a first partial actuating path and into a plurality, i.e. at least two, of following partial actuating paths. During the first actuating path the media components are mixed to form the medium to be discharged. With each of the following partial actuations of the actuating means is associated the preferably atomized discharge of a clearly defined partial charge of the medium. There are advantageously at least two and in particular two following partial actuations. However, it is also possible for there only to be one following partial actuation, i.e. all the medium to be discharged is discharged in a following partial actuation. It is appropriate if the first partial actuation and the first, following partial actuation takes place by means of an uninterrupted, continuous actuation of the actuating means. It is particularly advantageous with such a construction of the discharge apparatus that a plurality of partial actuations of the actuating means is unnecessary in order to mix the media components to form the medium and instead this can take place through a single partial actuation. The further actuations in each case serve to discharge a clearly defined partial charge.
According to an advantageous development of the invention the container chambers are separated from one another by plugs located in the container. It is also advantageous to form on the container overflow channels, which are positioned in such a way that during the first partial actuation of the actuating means the plugs separating the chambers from one another can be brought into a position in the vicinity of the overflow channels, so that the latter interconnect the chambers.
According to a preferred construction of the invention for subdividing the actuating path into partial actuating paths a connecting link guide is provided. The connecting link guide preferably has pressure point means and at the beginning of each following partial actuation it is necessary to overcome the pressure point means. Advantageously the connecting link guide has a linear guide portion for each partial actuation, the guide portions being so mutually displaced that they are in each case limited by a stop and that between two partial actuations it is necessary to perform a reversing actuation differing from the partial actuation. Preference is given to constructions in which at least the reversing actuation is automatically performed between two following partial actuations. Particular preference is given to constructions in which for the automatic performance of the reversing actuation force or tension reservoirs are provided, which are pretensioned when performing the preceding partial actuation.
According to a preferred development of the invention the container is placed in stable manner in a sleeve. The sleeve is movable relative to the casing and can be brought from a starting position into a discharge position. In the starting position the container is held in oriented manner by the sleeve in the discharge apparatus casing. The container is hermetically sealed. From this starting position the sleeve can be brought into the discharge position and during bringing into this position a fluidic connection is produced between the first chamber oriented towards the discharge opening of the discharge apparatus. Preferably the bringing of the sleeve from the starting position into the discharge position takes place during the first partial actuation. For producing the fluidic connection between the first chamber and the discharge opening a container-side terminal plug, which is preferably fixed to the container with a crimp closure, is perforated by a casing-side needle having a discharge channel.
Advantageously the connecting link guide is constructed between the sleeve and the actuating means and preferably the at least one sliding block is constructed on the actuating means and the at least one link path of the link guide is constructed on the sleeve.
It is also advantageous if the reversing actuation takes place between the first partial actuation and the first, following partial actuation by rotating or twisting the actuating means with respect to the casing or, if provided, with respect to a sleeve located in the casing and preferably the rotation angle is predetermined by stop edges of the connecting link guide and in which preferably a rotation of the sleeve with respect to the casing is prevented by means of a tooth system.
It is also advantageous if the container has a first chamber facing the discharge opening of the discharge apparatus and at least one further chamber. The chambers are preferably separated from one another by plugs axially displaceable in the container. The last of the chambers is also sealed with a plug and the actuating means acts thereon.
According to an advantageous development the first chamber facing the discharge opening has a volume with a gas bubble and during the first partial actuation by compression of the gas bubble it is possible to produce a frictional connection between the actuating means and the container, by means of which the container can be brought from the starting position, where the container is preferably hermetically sealed, into the discharge position, where a fluidic connection is produced between the discharge opening and the first chamber. With such a construction on producing the fluidic connection the frictional connection by means of the gas bubble is interrupted, i.e. in simple manner a path-controlled frictional connection is produced. Alternatively or additionally it is also possible that the stop limiting the first partial actuation is constructed in such a way that the container is brought into a discharge position, where the fluidic connection between the first chamber and the discharge opening is produced.
Preference is given to constructions in which the container has two chambers and into the first chamber is preferably introduced a dry, particularly soluble media component, such as a lyophilizate and into the second chamber is introduced a carrier medium, preferably an in particular liquid solvent as the media component. It is also advantageous if two following partial actuations bringing about an equal discharge can be performed.
These and further features can be gathered from the claims, description and drawings and the individual features, both singly and in the form of subcombinations can be implemented in an embodiment of the invention and in other fields and can represent advantageous, independently protectable constructions for which protection is hereby claimed.